Long after the final whistle sounded, and the cheering ended on a wrestling mat in North Jersey, three friends remain tied to each other, in part due to a weekend 12 years ago that will forever bond them.

This is the story of Joe Dubuque, Anthony Montes and Anthony Messina, wrestlers from neighboring Essex County high schools in Glen Ridge, Nutley and Bloomfield, respectively, who formed a triangle at Passaic Valley High in Little Falls, which has transcended time.

It’s what makes high school wrestling, and its subsequent competition, so special. And while the friendship amongst the three had begun long before a fateful weekend in March of 2001, what occurred over a seven day period a dozen years ago has forever changed their lives. It’s a story of courage, raw emotion and the ultimate victory which would alter Dubuque’s life and strengthen a friendship already cemented in respect.

In 2001, Dubuque was a senior at Glen Ridge, having won a NJSIAA championship at 112 pounds a year earlier. He was rolling through his senior year at 119 pounds, undefeated, and for that matter, unstoppable. Dubuque had won his fourth straight Essex County Tournament championship earlier in the 2000-2001 season, and had just turned in a dominant effort at District 13, for his fourth straight title there.

Even in elementary school, Dubuque was a wrestling fanatic. His idol growing up? Belleville High’s Anthony Conte, a 1996 state champion and Belleville’s lone four-time NJSIAA medalist, to date.

"My friend, Joe Schoch, was a big Rami Ratel (from Bloomfield) fan and I was a Conte fan," said Dubuque, today the assistant wrestling coach at Princeton University following a successful stint in the same capacity at his alma mater, Indiana University. "When Anthony and Rami wrestled, we’d go to the match together, but sit on opposite sides of the gym while they had their match. After they finished wrestling, we’d sit together again. It was that intense, even for us kids."

Regions, March 2-3

On Friday, March 2, 2001, Dubuque won his Region 4 quarterfinal at Passaic Valley. Already a three-time region champion, he was scheduled to wrestle Messina, then a sophomore who was just beginning to gain credibility in the sport, the following morning in a semifinal. He was also excited about setting a new state record for takedowns in a season, eclipsing the mark of 204 by perhaps the best high school wrestler, ever, in New Jersey, Damian Hahn of Lakewood, who had set the record two years earlier.

"I remember going to bed that night and thinking I had to wrestle Joe the following morning," Messina recalled. "I knew I didn’t have much of a chance, but I was also looking forward to wrestling him. I figured, no one was expecting me to win and I had nothing to lose. What’s the worst than can happen? I lose? Okay."

Dubuque Saturday

The two stepped on the mat around 9:15 a.m. on March 3. Messina planned to be aggressive and see if he could gain some momentum.

"Right off the bat, I caught him with a high crotch and thought I got the two points, but (referee, Mark) Sherman said my foot was out of bounds," Messina recalled. "We’re walking back to the center of the mat and I’m thinking ‘(Joe) is going to kill me now."

Dubuque was a devastating wrestler on his feet and would often shoot toward opponents’ legs to gain leverage. As Dubuque moved in, his head collided with Messina’s forehead and Dubuque crumpled to the mat, losing consciousness for about 20 seconds.

"My friends had nicknamed me ‘Rock’, because I have a hard head," Messina said. "When we hit, I didn’t feel anything, but then I saw Joe lying there."

Dirk Phillips, Glen Ridge’s wrestling coach at the time and today the Glen Ridge High School principal, recalls the moment like it was yesterday.

"I remember him lying on the mat, and I’m saying ‘Joe, Joe, you okay,’" Phillips said. "He wasn’t responding, but he eventually started coming out of it. Back then, while we had trainers, the response to head injuries is not nearly what it is today. The trainers would not let him continue, and a doctor who was at the match wouldn’t allow him to continue without being examined first."

Messina, admittedly confused by what was happening, suddenly had his hand raised in victory, marking Dubuque’s first loss of the season.

"At first, I was happy because I won," Messina said. "But I was more concerned at that point about Joe. I went down to the locker room and apologized, but Joe was quick to say there was nothing to apologize for and that it was a part of the sport. It happens. Still, it was weird."

Dubuque left Passaic Valley quickly, hoping to get a doctor’s clearance to continue wrestling. Having lost, he would need to wrestle back for third place if he any hope of winning a second consecutive state championship. His first wrestleback would be 90 minutes after his loss to Messina, so time was critical.

"I was determined to wrestle back," Dubuque recalled. "It was a freak accident, but that stuff happens. It certainly gave me a new perspective on the sport."

Dubuque’s older brother, John, hurried Joe to an Immedi Center-type facility to get a clearance, which was obtained.